Source: Rick Friedman / Getty
One of the greatest comedians of our time turns 58 today. Click inside to check out a gallery of some of
Chris Rock‘s most hilarious moments!
Chris Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina. Shortly after his birth, his family relocated to Brooklyn, New York. As a youth, Rock was often bullied which led to him eventually dropping out of high school. After working at various fast food restaurants, Rock began working as a stand up comedian in 1984. Rock soon caught the attention of Eddie Murphy, who began mentoring him. Murphy gave Rock his first film role in
Beverly Hills Cop II. He began to rise in the comedy circuit ranks and continued to get bit roles in more films.
From 1990-1993 Rock was a cast member of NBC’s legendary sketch comedy show
Saturday Night Live. His time there and his performance as a crack addict in the film
New Jack City gave him national exposure. He would go on to headline his first HBO comedy special
Big Ass Jokes in 1994. He became one of the most acclaimed and commercially successful comedians in the industry two years later when he released his second HBO special
Bring the Pain. After releasing the HBO specials
Bigger & Blacker in 1999 and
Never Scared in 2004, Rock had cemented himself as one of the greatest comedic minds of his generation.
Since then, Rock has held his spot as one of the preeminent comics in the game. His Netflix special
Tambourine was released in 2016 and earned him a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album nomination. In total, Rock has 3 Grammy Awards and 4 Emmys. Rock executive produced and narrated the UPN comedy series
Everybody Hates Chris, which was loosely based on his school days. On top of being a mainstay name in stand up comedy, Rock has also continued to show that he is a force to be reckoned with on the big screens too. He has made audiences laugh in countless movies and continues to be an influence for comedians worldwide.
To celebrate him turning 58 today, check out a gallery of some of Chris Rock’s most hilarious moments!
